The present invention relates generally to a cable clamp and, more particularly, to a clamp for use in a fiber optic connector to tightly secure the strength members of a fiber optic cable connected to the connector.
It is common practice to terminate the strength members of a fiber optic cable by trapping them between two concentrically fitting press-fit sleeves. The termination is physically accomplished by placing the cable inside the inner sleeve and folding the strength members, typically plastic strands, back over the inner sleeve. The outer sleeve is then press-fit over the inner sleeve to trap the strands. Such a termination arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,797, to Arnold et al. Such an arrangement is not suitable for making a high friction clamp to a fiber optic cable having wire strength members.
A clamp which has been used for cables having wire strength members includes an inner sleeve having an outwardly extending annular flange at its forward end providing a rearwardly facing shoulder. The inner sleeve is threaded on its outer surface behind the shoulder. The wire strength members of the cable are folded back over the flange into engagement with the rearwardly facing shoulder. A nut is then threaded forwardly over the inner sleeve so that its forward edge butts against the rearwardly facing shoulder of the flange thereby clamping the wire strength members therebetween. Such a clamping arrangement is generally suitable for cables having relatively soft metallic strength members, such as copper wires, but is incapable of providing more than a hundred pounds cable retention if the strength members are formed of a relatively hard material, such as stainless steel.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a clamp for a fiber optic cable which is capable of providing high friction retention for stainless steel wire strength members of the cable.